Gigs For Good: An interview with Max Blansjaar

After organising his first ever Oxjam gig last year at Tap Social in Oxford, 15 year old has gone on to form his own music promotions company, Pink Badger Music, and record a debut EP. He even performed at this year’s Oxjam Festival Manager Conference in Oxford and totally blew us away! We caught up with him to find out more about his experiences with Oxjam, and how with people like Max, music really can make a difference.

“We love the local Leeds music scene and busking is a big part of that, so we just wanted to join in and get out on the streets”. Oxjam Festival Leeds launch the Oxjam Busk 2018, where hundreds of musicians and music lovers will be pitching up and busking against poverty this August.

There are so many reasons why gender representation is struggling to be where it should be. Festival organisers get the majority of the blame, and to some extent, they should be challenging themselves to do better. But it’s a domino effect. - Becca Vafeas

Over the weekend we welcomed this year’s group of inspiring Oxjam Festival Managers to Oxford for their Oxjam Induction. Over the course of two days we held talks, workshops and panel Q&A’s to introduce our wonderful volunteers – travelling from all over the UK – to their new role, and to the exciting journey that lies ahead!

It may only be January, but Oxjam18 starts now. That’s because this week we opened applications for Festival Managers, starting our search for this year’s crop of inspiring volunteers who will pull the strings and organise massive multi-venue music festivals all across the UK in October. Here are our top 6 reasons to apply.

Mercury nominated, chart topping, festival headlining disco-popsters Metronomy took time out from their busy touring schedule (including an appearance at Bristol’s Simple Things Festival later that night) to raise the roof in the Cotham Hill shop before the penultimate Oxjam Festival weekend.

Taking time out from his tour with the mighty Emeli Sande, former Britain’s Got talent contestant Calum Scott delighted fans with a secret Oxjam Session and a preview of his latest single “You Are The Reason” at Oxfam Newcastle.

The enthralling Marika Hackman was the latest artist to lend her support to Oxjam 2017. She played an intimate gig at the Oxfam shop in Dalston on the same day she released the video for her latest single 'Times Been Reckless".

Annie Mac: For over a decade now these have been two words synonymous with dance music, and over the weekend she played an #OxjamSession in our Manchester Emporium store, lending her support to Oxjam 2017 and totally bringing the roof down.